The post by the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO, Daren Tang, in the context of his visit to Greece and his participation with opening remarks at the International IP Enforcement Summit 2025 in Athens, June 12, 2025.
“Athens reminds us that innovation and creativity have always been part of the human story. The ancient Greeks pioneered breakthroughs in engineering, medicine, mathematics, philosophy, literature, art and science. Archestratus even gave us the first cookbook – a gastronomic heritage that is very much alive and well!
But the Greeks didn’t just innovate, they asked why and how innovation happens. Aristotle, for instance, explored the dynamics of invention, arguing that what’s new often builds on what came before.
Renaissance thinkers returned to these ideas, reviving and reimagining Greek insights to spark revolutions in art, science and philosophy. In 1474, the Republic of Venice created the world’s first formal patent system, an advance that soon spread across Europe and, ultimately, the globe.
Today, the intellectual property (IP) community is working hard to connect these ideas to the grassroots level in very concrete ways. During a lively roundtable with Greek start-ups, hosted by the Hellenic Industrial Property Organisation (OBI), I was struck by how well-informed the founders were about using IP strategically as a business and even financial asset. This is sadly not that common and a credit to the dynamism of the Greek innovation ecosystem and the impactful OBI team, led by DG Panagiotis Kanellopoulos.
Of course, challenges remain, including in attracting growth capital and financing. Yet Greece has clearly turned a corner since the financial crisis and is now one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies.
This is bringing fresh hope and ambition into the system. This was well-reflected in my meetings with ministers and senior officials, which highlighted the importance of boosting rural prosperity through a project for Kalamata olive producers and supporting SMEs and creators to thrive in the digital economy.
At the foundation of all this lies IP enforcement and the vital work of tackling IP crime. Alongside Greek and European leaders, I had the honor of helping to open the International IP Enforcement Summit 2025. This was a chance to address some of today’s most pressing issues – protecting IP in the digital age, supporting SMEs in cross-border enforcement and ensuring that innovation is not undercut by counterfeiting and piracy.
What stood out was how many of these concerns echoed those I discussed just a week earlier with Kenya’s Anti-Counterfeiting Authority. This is truly a global fight, with international cooperation key. To channel Socrates, we are – and remain – citizens of the world”.
Credits: Daren Tang
World Intellectual Property Organization-WIPO
